The present invention relates to a compact disk case with stackable sleeves carried in a clam-shell configured outer enclosure.
Compact disks or CDs carry audio and computer data. These disks are generally circular, about 4-6 inches in diameter and are very thin plates or platters. Commonly, CDs are made of a plastic type material. Although many CDs are sold in rectangular flat boxes, these boxes are difficult to transport. Accordingly, various types of carrying cases have been developed to hold the circular CD platters.
Some of these CD carrying cases utilize a generally circular plate made of cardboard or other A4 semi-rigid material which is covered by felt or other type of smooth fiber cloth. Commonly, the CDs are inserted into pockets which are formed between the circular plate (covered by the cloth) and a semi circular piece of cloth sewn to a portion of the plate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact disk carrying case with stackable sleeves.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carrying case formed by two clam-shell members which close upon each other and capture pairs of disk carrying plates in its interior.
It is another object of the present invention to group these disk carrying plates into pairs wherein each pair is attached by a hinge and each hinge has a progressively increasing span distance between the respective, connected plates.
It is an additional object of the present invention to dispose the pair of disk carrying plates having a maximum span plate hinge near the clam-shell member hinge, to dispose intermediate span plate hinges atop the maximum span hinge and to dispose a minimum span plate hinge in a central location such that the hinge is adapted to be closed on itself such that its respective connected plates are proximately facing each other when both clam-shell members are closed thereby defining a closed compact disk case.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a square shape compact disk carrying case with stackable and removable or stackable and permanently mounted disk carrying plates.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide various mechanisms to remove and/or permanently mount the stackable disk carrying plates in the clam-shell members, each pair of plates having hinges with progressively increasing spans.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact disk carrying case with a mesh bag carrier.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a compact disk carrying case wherein at least one pair of disk carrying plates is adapted to carry a plurality of compact disks.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a CD carrying case with a plurality of compact disk carrying plates hinged together by a corresponding plurality of plate hinge segments along a spine on a member hinge wherein the member hinge is the hinge between the upper and lower outer clam shell members.
It is a further object of the present invention to establish progressively increasing longer spanning hinges between respective opposing plate hinge segments and an intervening portion of a spine forming the member hinge.
It is another object of the present invention to attach the spanning hinges with adhesive, sewn thread, rivets or other attachment mechanisms.
It is another object of the present invention to provide spanning hinges which define at least a minimum and a maximum spanning hinge between respective opposing plates.
The compact disk carrying case includes, in one embodiment, an outer enclosure which is defined by two clam-shell members. Each clam-shell member has an interfacing edge which mates with the corresponding interfacing edge on the other clam-shell member. A mechanism is provided, such as a zipper, for closing the interfacing edges thereby forming a closeable outer enclosure within is which is captured a plurality of compact disks. The clam-shell members are hinged together along a portion of each respective interfacing edge. The carrying case includes a plurality of compact disk carrying plates which are grouped together into n pairs of plates by n hinges. Each hinge has a progressively increasing span distance between the respective connected plates. Accordingly, these hinges establish minimum, a least one intermediate and a maximum span distance between the respective connected plates. In use, the maximum span CD carrying plate hinge is disposed proximate the clam-shell member hinge, the intermediate span plate hinge or hinges are disposed progressively next to the maximum span plate hinge and the minimum span plate hinge is disposed in an interior region of the compact disk carrying case such that it is adapted to be closed on itself such that its respective connected plates are proximately facing each other when the CD carrying case is closed. In a further embodiment, the outer enclosure in square shaped. The n hinges may be permanently mounted to the clam-shell member hinge or may be removably mounted thereon. Further, at least one pair of hinged plates may be a pair of multiple disk carrying plates wherein disk pouches are overlaid on the multiple disk carrier plate. Preferably, the multiple disk carrier plate pairs have truncated V-shaped edge cutouts defined at opposite ends of said clam-shell member hinge to enable stacking within the outer enclosure.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the carrying case for compact disks (CDs) utilize two clam-shell members as an outer enclosure which are hinged together with a member hinge. The plurality of CD carrying plates are hinged together by corresponding plurality of plate hinge segments along a spine on the member hinge. Respective opposing plate hinge segments, corresponding to opposing plates and, an intervening portion of the spine, form a progressively increasing longer spanning hinge which establishes an increasingly longer span distance between respective opposing plates and defines at least a minimum and at least a maximum spanning hinge length between the opposing plates. The maximum spanning hinge is disposed proximate the clam-shell member hinge. The minimum length spanning hinge is adapted to be closed on itself such that its respective opposing plates are proximally facing when the disk carrying plates are disposed in the enclosure. Preferably, the CD carrying case includes means for mounting the plurality of plates via the corresponding plurality of plate hinge segments. The means for mounting includes adhesive bonding the plate hinge segment and the member hinge together, thread attachment linking the plate hinge segment and the member hinge and a plurality of spacer members adhered or sewn, between adjacent plate hinge segments and adhered or sewn onto the member hinge. Other types of mounting mechanisms including bolts, rivets, heat welded material are encompassed by this mounting system.